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Narok District Mock -English Paper 2 Question Paper

Narok District Mock -English Paper 2

Course:Secondary Level

Exam Year:2006

101/2
ENGLISH
(Comprehension, Literary Appreciation and Grammar)
QUESTION 1. COMPREHENSION 20 MARKS*Nrk*
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.
PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT
Government institutions exist to serve people by maintaining law and order. They are meant to develop policy, enforce rules, ensure property and other rights, and provide the framework for employment-generating investment and growth. The institutions play a key role in providing or assuring the environment for provision of basic services such as education, health and infrastructure that are fundamental to a society and its economy.
However, in many countries, the public sector does not run efficiently and it is in need of reform. Some institutions need streamlining and reduction in size . Most of the institutions under perform and they therefore need to be eliminated.
The consumers of government institutions’ services, the public, have complaints that read like a catalogue of horrors against most of the institutions.
A story is told that a man who walked into a government office to have a title deed he had left the previous day signed. He walked into a room full of clerks busy reading newspapers, talking into telephones, flipping through files and writing. Despite all the activity, the queue remained stagnant for close to four hours. In fact, the clerks behaved as if there was nobody else in the room.
The man was exasperated. Finally, he approached the counter and said softly, “Could you please
assist me?”
“What can I do for you?” asked the annoyed clerk, teeth clenched.
“I would like to have my title deed signed,” he said.
“ Oh, I see, title deed”, said the clerk seemingly uninterested.
“See the man over there, “ he indicated to the left.
The man on the left was willing to help. He leafed through some dog-eared papers apparently looking for the title deed. A few minutes later, he looked up, smiled sheepishly and told the man who had been waiting since eight o’clock. ‘I am afraid it’s lunch-time already and I have to rush to an important appointment!’ with that, he left the man literally beaten, hungry and angrier.
The effectiveness of government is limited by, among others, unrealistic salaries and benefits of government employees. They are either too high or too low. Usually, the control of employment or recruitment is very poor. It is not uncommon to hear personnel officials wondering how someone got employed and even got on the payroll. Recruitment is also plagued by problems such as phantom workers, nepotism and incompetence.
Coupled with this is the corruption culture and sheer indiscipline across the ranks.
Many government critics believe that reforms need to be done in order to cut the cost of running the public sector, increase competence and increase the effectiveness of the remaining few. They also argue that there should be an independent audit system to monitor and evaluate public expenditure programmes. This can help to control overall spending, guard against misspending and corruption.
QUESTIONS
(a) List at least three things that the government exists for. 3mks) *Nrk*
b) Which are the three basic services? (3mks) *Nrk*
c) What solution does the writer suggest for underperforming institutions? (2mks) *Nrk*
d) How long did the man in the story queue? (1mk) *Nrk*
e) Why do the government critics advocate for reforms in the public sector? (3mks) *Nrk*
f) Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage;
(3mks) *Nrk*
(i) dog-eared papers
(ii) Smile sheepishly
(iii) teeth clenched
g) In about 30 words summarize the factors that limit government effectiveness. (4mks) *Nrk*
h) Rewrite the following sentence in reported speech.
“What can I do for your?” asked the annoyed clerk, teeth clenched. (1mk) *Nrk*
2. Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow. (25mks) *Nrk*
Shylock: Three thousand ducats-well
Bassanio: Ay, sir, for three months
Shylock: For three months-well
Bassanio: For the which, as I told, Antonio shall be bound
Shylock: Antonio shall become bound-well.
Bassanio: May you stead me? Will you pleasure me? Shall I know your answer?
Shylock: Three thousand ducats for three months, and Antonio bound.
Bassanio: Your answer to that?
Shylock: Antonio is a good man.
Bassanio: Have you had any imputation to the contrary?
Shylock: Ho, no, no, no! my meaning is saying he is a ‘good man’ is to have you
understand me that he is sufficient. Yet his means are in supposition – he hath
an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies, I understand, moreover, upon
the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England; and other ventures he
hath squandered abroad. But ships are but boards, sailors but men; there be
land-rats and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves (I mean pirates); and
then there is the peril of waters, wind and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding,
sufficient. Three thousand ducats – I think I may take his bond.
Bassanio: Be assured you may
Shylock: I will be assured I may and that I may be assured, I will bethink me. May I
speak with Antonio?
Bassanio: If it please you dine with us.
Shylock: Yes, to smell pork, to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite
conjured the devil into! I will buy with you, walk with you, and so following;
but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on
the Rialto? Who is he comes here?
(Enter Antonio)
Bassanio: (Going to meet him) This is signior Antonio
Shylock: (Aside) How like a fawning publican he looks. I hate him for he is a Christian.
But more, for that in low simplicity. He lends out money gratis and brings
down the rate of usance here with us in Venice. If I can catch him once upon
the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. He hates our sacred
nation, and he rails-
Even there where merchants most do congregate –
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift which he calls interest. Cursed be
my tribe.
If I forgive him!
Bassanio: Shylock, do you hear?
Shylock: (Not facing them) I am debating of my present store, And by the near guess of
my memory.
I cannot instantly raise up the gross of full three thousand ducats. What of that?
Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe, will furnish me. (Turning To Bassanio)
But soft, how many months do you desire? (To Antonio) Rest you fair, good
signior! Your worship was the last man in our months.
Antonio: Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow by taking nor by giving excess, Yet to
supply the ripe wants of my friend, I’ll break a custom. (To Bassanio) is he yet
possessed how much ye would?
Shylock: Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.
Antonio: And for three months
Shylock: I had forgot – three months, (To Bassanio) you told me so. (To Antonio) Well
then, your bond. And let me see – but hear you, Me thoughts you said you
neither lend nor borrow upon advantage.
Antonio: I do never use it.
QUESTIONS
(i) a) What is Shylock and Bassanio discussing at the beginning of this extract?(2mks) *Nrk*
b) What is Antonio’s role?
(2mks)
ii) Explain what Shylock means when he says ‘Antonio is a good man’. (2mks) *Nrk*
iii) Why wouldn’t Shylock eat pork? (2mks) *Nrk*
iv) Explain why there’s hatred between Shylock and Antonio (6mks) *Nrk*
v) Mention the biblical allusion used by Shylock and explain it. (4mks) *Nrk*
vi) Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage.
(5mks) *Nrk*
May you stead me?
Imputation
argosy
conjured
Usance
vii) Rewrite the following sentence in standard English. (2mks) *Nrk*
‘Your worship was the last man in our months!
3. Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow. (15mks) *Nrk*
TO JAMES
Do you remember
How you won
That last race ……….?
How you flung your body
At the start……
How your spikes
Ripped the cinders
In the stretch…..
How you catapulted
Through the tape……
Do you remember ……?
Don’t you think
I lurched with you
Out of those starting holes….?
Don’t you think
My sinews tightened
At those first
Few strides….
And when you flew into the stretch
Was not all my thrill
of a thousand races in your blood….?
At your final drive
Through the finish line
Did not my shont
Tell of the
Triumphant ecstacy
Of victory….?
Live
As I have taught you
To run, Boy _
It’s a short dash
Dig your starting holes
Deep and firm
Lurch out of them
Into the straightaway
With all the power
That is in you
Look straight ahead
To the finish line
Think only of the goal
Run straight
Run high
Run hard
Save nothing
And finish
With an ecstatic burst
That carries you
Hurtling
Through the tape
To victory ……….
a) What event is the speaker describing? Illustrate. (2mks) *Nrk*
b) Explain how the person gets involved in the event he describes. (4mks) *Nrk*
c) What is the relationship the persona and the ‘you’? Illustrate. (4mks) *Nrk*
d) Identify and illustrate any 2 stylistic features in this poem. 4mks) *Nrk*
e) Explain ‘you catapulted’ 1mk) *Nrk*
4. GRAMMAR (20mks) *Nrk*
a) Replace the underlined word/words with one that means the same from the box
provided. (5mks) *Nrk*
i). The dictator thundered at the workers to resume work. ………………………………
ii) Contrary to the reports, reality was that Mwaboza had not indulged in promiscuous
activities. ………………………………….
iii) From dawn to dusk, the students were in the forest looking for their missing
friend…………………………………………………..
iv) Those filthy small rodents should be exterminated …………………………………….
v) The cholera outbreak caught the health activities by surprise
b) Form your own sentences to illustrate the meanings for each of the following pairs.
(6mks) *Nrk*
i) accountable for
Truth vermin rumbled insects
epidemic sunset sunrise disease
accountable to
ii) stay with
stay at
iii) angry about
angry with
c) Rewrite the following sentences using the instructions given (4mks) *Nrk*
i) He had not slept the whole night. He was sleepy. (Begin: Not ……………)
ii) After she studied the situation, she was able to know where to begin. (Begin: Having ..)
iii) He had never known what it meant to go without a meal. He was unsympathetic towards
the street boy. (begin: Never…….)
iv) Juma did his assignment before he went out to watch the play. (Begin: Having………..)
d) Explain the meaning of the following idioms. (5mks) *Nrk*
i) To face the music
ii) To strike gold
iii) An iron fist
iv) A lame duck
v) Patience of Job

Narok District Mock -English Paper 2 Question Paper

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